By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Photos like these, from Saturday, half a mile from WS Indivisible’s meeting site at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, had underscored that declaration. But the group’s meeting focus, community response to the immigration-enforcement crackdown, had been planned weeks if not months earlier.
WSI co-director Laurie Reinhardt opened the discussion with a recap of Saturday’s streetcorner demonstration in memory of 76 people whose deaths were linked to ICE operations, with memorial signs held by people dressed in black, standing at more than a dozen streetcorners along California SW between Morgan Junction and Admiral Junction. The signs were handmade by a WSI member, “emotionally grueling” work, as Reinhardt said, before segueing to a video showing some of the signs and signholders, set to somber music.
The first speaker was Natalia Vasileva of WSI’s immigration-focused team, presenting data she said had been collected by advocacy groups making disclosure requests – first showing a bar grant immigrant apprehensions per month in our state since 2022, increasing dramatically in recent months – almost 700 in June and July. Of those, she said, 120 of those 700 had convictions, but only three were felons, she said. For the first half of 2026, most people taken into custody spent “one week to two months” in detention.
Another bar chart showed Mexico as the home country for the vast majority of detainees, and almost all the others were Latin Americans; the rest of the top five countries from which detainees had come were Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, and Colombia.
She said 300 children under 18 were taken into immigration custody in this state so far this year, adding that, around the country, 1900 children are currently in immigration custody. She said that volunteer lawyers are being sought by the Children’s Due Process Project to help petition for juveniles’ release.
WSI member Dianne talked about working with an immigrant and his partner, who were going through the system. He was an entrepreneur in his own country, went to school for a master’s degree, got a job here, bought a house, He ‘went to all his check-ins” and then was arrested and put into detention in mid-July because of an “erroneous domestic-violence charge.” They found a pro-bono lawyer who wasn’t available immediately so supporters and co-workers raised money to get him help sooner. But he remained detained. A judge finally found that his rights had been violated because he was detained at a check-in without warning, and he was released August 24. Then another man her group had been working with was detained this week; he is fighting Stage 4 cancer. A doctor at the detention center advised against detaining him further – so he’s home.
Next, a panel discussion moderated by veteran immigration lawyer Jay Stansell, with local people who work with groups including the Alaska Junction Community Defense Network, National Day Laborers Organizing Network, Adopt-a-Corner, and Kids in Need of Defense. Because of the work they do, most of the panel participants went by pseudonyms, and photography was not allowed.
KIND was explained as a nonprofit that “strives to protect the rights of unaccompanied immigrant children” so that “no kid has to appear in court by themselves.”
The NDLON volunteer explained that they stand in solidarity with people looking for work who are “vulnerable because of what’s going on right now.” They are there to make connections, not just show up for a while and leave. They hope they can be a deterrent “if ICE were to show up.” They want to make what they do more “accessible” and say that “anyone can do this – I’m just a regular person with no special skills,” not even another language.
The Community Defense Network volunteer said she’s involved in “patrol and rapid response.” For the former, people do it in a variety of ways, where there might be vulnerable people or an event. It can be “tailored to exactly what you want to do or feel comfortable doing.” They look for “suspicious” cars – heavily tinted windows, for example. Rapid response is what happens when someone’s been taken away – a call will go out (via Signal, these groups’ primary commuication channel) – usually the person has been taken away before resonse volunteers arrive, but the person’s vehicle and personal belongings have been left behind, so volunteers work to secure those and contact their family. Another rapid-response volunteer spoke next. She talked about what happened when contractor Eduardo Esparza was taken away in July – they were within a block of it. She talked about “aftercare” including in that case comforting the woman who tried to stop it. On Saturday at 42nd/Andover, they made sure the car got back to its owner’s family. They offer long-term care for families too – maybe fundraising, grocery buying, dogwalking, offering a place to stay for a few days. She said there are currently “20 abductions in Seattle per day,” many “unseen because they’re being sneaky.” She talked about the trauma experienced by one witness who saw what happened Saturday – saw the window-smashing, tire-slashing, the targeted people’s raw terror – so they’re getting that person some help. They can use volunteers doing almost anything.
“What else can I do?” is the question Stansell said everyone can ask. “It’s important to be alarmed (but also) to take action.”
The volunteer from NDLON said they take two-hour weekly shifts and bring coffee and treats, “it’s just like hanging out with friends … we’re just hoping to be here and nothing ever happens.” But things have gotten more nerve-wracking the last few months.” Stansell noted, “Being out there, you’re winning all the time,” likely being a deterrent – “you’re saving people.”
He then asked how people can help KIND. Its rep said that ICE is detaining juveniles when they’re not supposed to. Their cases are being sped up to a rate that even lawyers can’t keep up with. There are hearings at which 50 to 60 children are churned through the system in a day, “It’s ridiculous,” but her organization at least tries to provide information. Fundraising, pro-bono lawyers, those are things KIND is looking for (it has offices all over the country).
What’s the most important thing to do if you see an ICE abduction? Contact someone you know who is in rapid response. Better yet, the volunteer said, sign up for their group – and then you can text if you see something. She joined so she would “know what to do.” Her group literally started as a few neighbors and has done a lot of good work – she related helping a family who chose to “self-deport,” and needed suitcases – she said they put out a call and “five suitcases were on my porch” soon. If you volunteer, yes, you’re going to see negative things, but you’re also going to see positive things that “will overwhelm you,” in a good way. They also have training for just about everything people can help with, and if they don’t, “we’ll create the training together.”
Stansell said it’s people’s constitutional right to “be in their community, to witness what’s going on.” He added, “If you’re neighborly with your neighbors, you’ll know what’s needed.”
In subsequent discussion, the Rapid Response volunteer noted, “There’s no one right way to do rapid response.” Stansell said there is one important constant, though: “The Trump Administration considers us all people who are trying to violently overthrow the government” but they stress nonviolent action “so we can never be accused of being violent, because we’re not.”
They then heard from a nearby resident who was in the area of Saturday’s ICE operation and told a nearby construction crew about it – after which, she said, “they left and weren’t there today.” She also promoted the Southwest Family Fund, which is having an upcoming fundraiser at Southgate Roller Rink. The rapid-response volunteer said that “100 percent of the fund goes to people here who are impacted by ICE.”
WSI offers Constitutional Observer Training every week, Reinhardt reminded everyone (the WSI website has the info).
The group then broke into small groups so people could talk individually with the panelists. They do all their work on Signal- “security is key” – if you want to be referred to someone but weren’t at the meeting, contact WSI, which can put you in contact. And “tell people” about getting involved, one of the volunteers urged. (Ask your neighbors – maybe one of them is already involved.” (They have a hotline but don’t distribute it widely.)
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
-Get Out the Vote online event with the 34th District Democrats on Wednesday (September 23)
-No Kings: Vote Early event on October 17, focusing on a planned downtown demonstration
-Signmaking party in lieu of October 18 meeting
-Ballot-box march from here to Junction drop box on October 25 – “I would love to see a thousand people!” said Reinhardt. 1:30-3:30 pm, joyful with drumming etc., “Bop to the Box.”